The Genesee Community College men's soccer team will play for the Region III-A Championship this Saturday after Austin Richardson broke a 2-2 tie with 2:25 remaining in overtime to lift the Cougars over visiting Cayuga Community College on Tuesday night.
Richardson scored twice on the night and his extra session goal gives GCC a shot for the third year in a row at a Region III title.
The sixth-seeded Spartans earned an upset win over no. 3 SUNY Delhi last Saturday to advance to Tuesday night's semi-finals and a trip to no. 2 GCC.
Genesee nearly took a lead five-minutes into the opening half when Josh May worked to the side of a charging Spartans goalkeeper just outside of the box, but his shot sailed wide of the open Cayuga net. The Spartans rebounded and struck first in the 18th minute to take a 1-0 lead.
Jamie Maskell evened the match at a goal apiece in the 36th minute with a diving header off of a free kick by Nathan Rose that snuck into the bottom corner of the Cayuga net.
The game remained tied early into the second half before Richardson scored his first goal of the night, an unassisted goal in the 52nd minute to give Genesee a 2-1 lead.
GCC held on to the one-goal lead until just over 12-minutes remained in regulation. Cayuga was able to take advantage of a missed clearing chance by the Genesee defense and scored to even the match at 2-2. Neither team could break the tie in regulation and the game went into overtime.
In the extra session, Richardson ran down a George Anthony cross inside the Cayuga box, and between two Spartans defenders he chipped in the game-winner in the 98th minute to give Genesee a 3-2 win.
Richardson's two goals were his fifth and sixth of the season. Sean Allen made five saves in net for GCC.
The Cougars will face no. 1 Herkimer County Community College on Saturday in the finals. Herkimer is the number one ranked team in the country and has ended GCC's season the last two years. The Generals defeated Genesee in the NJCAA National Championship game in 2011 and ousted the Cougars in the Region III Finals last year. The winner will represent one of two teams from Region III in the NJCAA National Tournament. Tompkins-Cortland Community College and SUNY Adirondack will play for the other Region III bid on Saturday.
